*ALL FOR US LYRICS EXPLAINED:* In general, the song is about Rue's addiction. Rue is the protagonist in this song, and drugs are the enemy of this protagonist. The verses "taking it all for us, doing it all for love" have 2 meanings, depending on whether the choir (which represents drugs) or Rue is singing. When the drugs (the chorus) say "taking it all for us" they are referring to how Rue takes the drug. When they say "doing it all for love" they mean that Rue takes the drug because of the "love" she has for them. Clearly that it´s not love, it´s addiction. It's not good for her, and she knows it, but because of her addiction she can't contain herself and takes the drugs. When only Rue says the verses, it´s when she lets us know that she is " taking it" (or putting up with) her addictions for her loved ones and for herself, and she is doing it because of the love she has for them. Now I will explain my theory of what each verse means (this last scene and this song have a lot of content) *|| Too much in my system (famine, famine)* Here Rue lets us know that she was very eager or very hungry to take drugs, and she probably overdosed. *|| Money MIA (pockets hella empty). Mama making ends meet (making ends meet) working like a slave (Mississippi, ay, ay)* Rue's mother has 2 jobs since Rue's father became sick, so it is clear that the effort she is putting into keeping the family going and continuing to be financially stable is impressive, that' s why Rue says she works like a slave. Now, what does "mississippi" mean in all this? Well, relating Mississippi to slavery in this verse is just a historical reference, because Mississippi is the U.S. state that took the longest to abolish slavery. *|| Daddy ain't at home, no (father, father)* Rue´s father died, that´s why she says he´s not at home. *|| Gotta be a man (Michael Corleone)* When Rue says "gotta be a man" she means that, like all humans, her father was unfortunately going to die one day. This shows that Rue really misses her father. In fact, just when Rue says the phrase "gotta be a man" her father (which Rue is imagining) grabs her. Michael Corleone is a character in the film The Godfather. This character cared a lot about his family and gave everything for them. That connects with the next verse of the song: *|| Do it for my homegrowns (sisters, brothers), do it for the fam.* Rue imagines that she sees her father again. He tells her indirectly that it´s not yet her time to die (because he grabs her first and then releases her), that she must fix her life, and that she must do it for her family. *|| Just for your love, yeah, I'll give you the world. Mona Lisa´s smile.* Rue tries to tell us that she would do the impossible (impossible as the Mona Lisa's smile) for the love of her family. _INCISE: The "OH's" that the choir sings, represent drugs tormenting Rue's life and thoughts._ *|| Hell, I'll do twenty-five to life if it makes me your king. A star in your eyes.* This verse reinforces the previous. No matter what sacrifices she makes, if they make her a better person it will be worth it. *|| Guilty or innocent, my love is infinite. I'm giving it. No need for prisoners. Bitch please hands up, this is a stickup.* This is a metaphor for drugs trying to convince Rue not to let them go, and doesn't matter whether she feels guilty or innocent about it. Of course, in the most ironic way possible (if you notice this line it´s only sung by the chorus, which symbolizes the drugs in the scene, because they carry it around and basically don't let her go). The love of her family is infinite and, also, drugs do make you a prisoner. Drugs really have nothing to defend themselves with, they have no arguments to convince Rue after all she has been through, and that´s why they finally say to Rue "hands up, this is a stickup", referring to the fact that drugs will steal the love she could give to her loved ones. *|| Guess you figured my two times two always equates to one* Rue makes an assumption: Her family believes that she never stopped drugging, even though she told them otherwise, since, as I said at the beginning, she fell into another overdose (that's why 2x2=1, it's like a metaphor for her being drugged because clearly 2x2 is not 1 lol). *|| Dreamers are selfish* Many people relate it to Jules, but I think Rue says it to herself. Her dream is to be clean and finally be happy with her family and herself. But, even so, to have at least one joy for a second she takes drugs, and so she calls herself selfish. This theory takes strength when we see the scene. Just when Rue says "dreamers are selfish" she throws herself into the chorus, which as I have said several times, represents drugs. *|| When it all comes down to it* When she says "When it all comes down to it" she means "when i wake up in the hospital" because it is most probable, as i said before, that she has overdosed, and if so, it´s most logical to think that she will wake up in a hospital. This theory takes strength thanks to what is heard after the song ends in the last chapter of the first season: if you remember, at the beginning of the last chapter, when Rue is in the hospital because of her renal infection, she tells us that at night, when everyone is asleep, she closes her eyes in the hospital room and imagines that the little beeps are sounds of birds and that the warm air coming out of the duct is a warm breeze. Well, this is precisely what you hear after "All For Us" ends; sounds of birds and a breeze. She says it in this unclear way because she doesn't feel proud of what is happening, so in order not to feel so bad with herself she expresses it that way. *|| I hope one of you come back to remind me of who I was when I go disappear into that good night* Rue is requesting this of her loved ones. She says she "disappears" because, as I said before, she overdosed. She says that is a "good night" because the drugs make her feel """good""". That´s my theory. I hope you like it :)
Ohh, taking it all for us Taking it all Taking it all for us Ohh, doing it all for love Doing it all Doing it all for love Taking it all for us, oh Doing it all for love Yeah-eah, yeah-eah Too much in my system (famine, famine) Money MIA (pockets hella empty) Mama making ends meet (making ends meet) Working like a slave (Mississippi, ay, ay) Daddy ain't at home, no (father, father) Gotta be a man (Michael Corleone) Do it for my homegrowns (sisters, brothers) Do it for the fam (yeah, so tell 'em, Labby) Ay (oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh) Just for your love, yeah, I'll (oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh) Give you the world (oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh) Mona Lisa's smile (oh, oh, oh, oh) Hey (oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh) Hell, I'll do twenty-five to life (oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh) If it makes me your king (oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh) A star in your eyes (oh, oh, oh, oh) Guilty or innocent My love is infinite, I'm giving it No need for prisoners Bitch, please, hands up This is a stickup, 'cause I'm Hey, yeah I'm taking it Yeah-eah I'm taking it all for us, oh Doing it all for love Yeah-eah, yeah-eah Guess you figured my two times two Always equates to one Dreamers are selfish When it all comes down to it I hope one of you come back To remind me of who I was When I go disappear Into that good night (Good night, good night, good night, good night) I'm taking it all for us, oh Doing it all for love Yeah-eah, yeah-eah
Vivien, I am going to turn 60yo on Saturday, and I get the same kick&move'it rush from this as well. So much genius on this BlueMarble we call Home, and we get the love from only a sliver of access to it. Euphoria is the late '90s, I graduated in 1980, and I lived/loved/SOMEHOW survived the whole wild ride this show nails with frightening accuracy.
I think the song has more than one meaning When it says *Taking it all for us, Doing it all for us* i think she's talking about the identities she has inside herself (maybe she has more, like we all do), one person inside of her is the drug addict and the other one is the better person she's trying to be (Mona Lisa' smile). There's probably more people "inside". She has also inside her mom, her sister, her father, the roles she has to play in relationship to them, the responsibilities. She has all these parts of herself that thorn her apart, it's like she's saying to them, I'm doing this for all of you cause i love you, im taking drugs, cause im suffering so much its unbearable. I'm taking the pressure of you all and go take a break and disappear. So she's taking drugs for love, for love to herself as to soothe the part of herself that is grieving for her father and also her family and also for Jules. So she's taking drugs as a distorted way of self love, cause it "helps" her cope with the suffering, but also destroying her at the same time. This makes more sense when she says *Guess you figured my two times two, Always equates to one* *I hope one of you come back To remind me of who I was When I go disappear* I think she's talking about how she can't really change, how all these roles she has to play always collapse to one, the part of her that is more vulnerable and weak and goes to drugs as a way to cope. She doesn't know who she is, she hopes at the end someone helps her remind her who she was, or who is she supposed to be. The part of the chorus its really interesting. First it says she'd do anything for her love, for jules, to be loved by her object of affection, she'd even go to prison, she'd fake being another person. She just gives her infinite love.Then the chorus says there's no prisoners, and who is she kidding, this is a stickup. One way to look at it is she wants to control Jules (maybe she knows what Jules would do if she found out Rue was overdosing, so maybe it could be some sort of manipulation), or Rue herself is the prisoner, she has to be always kinda faking it and pushing down the other part of her. Rue is losing herself for another person's attention and approval. Even without drugs she's willing to disappear for love. So in some way, *Taking it all for us, doing it all for love* is also link with this. Rue doesn't know who she is and the only way she finds to survive is by disappearing into another person o in drugs. Her relationship with Jules was also kinda like a drug in that sense. The pain of reality is, for her, almost unbearable. So disappearing into drugs or a relationship is mercy and an act of love.
I haven't watched the show. No single second, no trailer. The music tells a story by itself. Lots of madness and love. Even a little melancholic goodbyes at the end.
I have literal chills the whole time i listen to this song no matter how many times ive heard it. The meaning and message in the show is so complex but easily understood by the viewer. Hats off to Labyrinth, Zendaya, the choir and marching band along with anyone else that had anything to do with the production of this beautiful soundtrack, y'all are on a WHOLE OTHER LEVEL!!!
[Intro: Labrinth] Oh I'm taking it all for us I'm taking it all Taking it all for us Oh I'm doing it all for love I'm doing it all I'm doing it all for love [Drop: Labrinth, Labrinth & Zendaya] Taking it all for us, all I'm doing it all for love Yeah-eah, yeah-eah [Verse 1: Zendaya & Labrinth] Too much in my system (Famine, famine) Money MIA (Pockets hella empty) Mama making ends meet (Making ends meet) Working like a slave (Mississippi, ayy, ayy) Daddy ain't at home, no (Father, Father) Gotta be a man (Michael Corleone) Do it for my homegrowns (Sisters, brothers) Do it for the fam (Yeah, so tell 'em, Labby) [Pre-Chorus: Labrinth, Zendaya, & Steve Mac and the Essence] Ayy (Oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh) Just for your love, yeah, I'll (Oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh) Give you the world (Oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh) Mona Lisa's smile (Oh, oh, oh, oh) Hey (Oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh) Hell, I'll do 25 to life (Oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh) If it makes me a king (Oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh) A star in your eyes (Oh, oh, oh, oh) Guilty or innocent My love is infinite, I'm giving it No need for prisoners Bitch, please, hands up, this is a stickup, 'cause I'm [Chorus: Zendaya, Labrinth, Zendaya & Labrinth] Hey I'm taking it Yeah-eah I'm taking it all for us, all Doing it all for love Yeah-eah, yeah-eah [Verse 2: Labrinth & Zendaya] Guess you figured my two times two always equates to one Dreamers are selfish When it all comes down to it I hope one of you come back to remind me of who I was When I go disappear Into that good night, good night, good night, good night, good night [Chorus: Labrinth & Zendaya] I'm taking it all for us, all Doing it all for love Yeah-eah, yeah-eah
This song sounds like youre at a concert, glitter/paint blasting everywhere while the people onstage are dancing with red robes, with euphoria makeup on, and rue, in the missle. just confused as to whats happening while getting thrown in the air with her love interest, high on drugs.
I interpret "hell I'll do 25 to life if it makes me a king" as that desperate moment one has when faced with the choice of doing drugs or not.. even though they've already made their decision prior to asking themselves. It's a painful and beautiful line in this song that shows how badly you can want something even if you know things won't end well when you're done.
*Addiction, what? Addiction, who? Addiction to? Euphoria. All for us.* 💘☠️✨☠️💘💊💘☠️✨☠️💘 This is in no way making fun of anyone who deals with addiction, it very much so real, and a struggle....but this song honestly just make some feel high, and in euphoria. Very trippy....👼🏾🔥✨☄️
